Sokka's Sword
During the time Sokka spent training with Piandao, he crafted his sword using ore from a recently fallen meteorite.1 The weapon is able to cut through various metals with little to moderate effort, and it has a distinctive dark hue that can be attributed to the material from which it was forged. Sokka seemed to have bonded with it in a similar fashion as had taken place with his boomerang, having given it the nickname "space sword". History In the beginning of Sokka's training under Piandao, he hardly knew how to hold a sword properly. However, he had a great natural talent and progressed quickly, being able to beat the butler, Fat, after a single day. Three days into his apprenticeship, Sokka received his sword from Piandao, and blew his Fire Nation cover deliberately, prompting Piandao to instigate a duel to the death, albeit fake, as a final test to make sure that Sokka had learned what he needed to. Sokka performed exceptionally, being able to hold off the swordmaster Piandao for an extended period. During this fight, he showed just how much he had learned about the way of the sword in just a few days, showing great resourcefulness and the ability to recognize and exploit every advantage. Piandao eventually beat him, but was greatly impressed by his progress and said that Sokka had the potential to one day be an even greater master than him. Sokka left Piandao's tutelage to help Aang on his quest to save the world from Ozai, and started putting his new skills to use shortly thereafter. It should be noted that Sokka had no qualms about using his sword in untraditional ways, such as to haul supplies on the end of it, use it and even wager it in scams (though this is done without permission) or poke people with the scabbard.5 However, he prized the sword very much, second probably only to his boomerang, his oldest weapon, given to him by his father Hakoda. He was later seen fighting using the sword during the Invasion of the Fire Nation, as well as in the Battle of Wulong Forest. When the comet arrived, Sokka, along with Toph and Suki, went to stop the airship fleet from burning the Earth Kingdom to the ground. They eventually managed to ground all of the airships by commandeering one and crashing it into the others, then jumping ship and damaging the rudder of another to collide with the remaining ships while Aang destroyed Ozai's personal flagship. Sokka and Toph got separated from Suki and were forced on the run by a crew of the vessel they were piggybacking at the time. They almost fell to their death, but Sokka managed to halt their fall by burying his sword into the airship's outer hull as a grapple hook, breaking a leg in the process. Sokka and Toph were stranded on a platform outside the airship, about to be done away with by firebenders, when Sokka sacrificed his boomerang and then his sword, throwing them at the planks supporting their opponents. This prevented their deaths just long enough for Suki to rescue them with the last airship, but neither the sword nor the boomerang came back, plummeting to the ground of the Wulong Forest. Design Sokka's sword is a jian, or a Chinese straight sword. The blade is approximately seventy centimeters long and four centimeters wide, with the grip measuring about twenty centimeters long. If it is anything like a real-world jian, the sword is light and flexible, weighing less than one kilogram. The black blade of the weapon originated with the sword's composition of meteoric iron. The sheath is simple, dark brown and straight, adorned with a gold-plate inlay about midway down its length. The sheath's tip is rectangular, a typical trait in its Chinese real-world counterpart, but uncommon in European swordmaking tradition. A stylized white lotus symbol made of gold filigree adorns the sheath-tip, another is etched into the end of the grip, which identified the sword as the work of a member of the Order of the White Lotus. The sword seems to be like any other jian in terms of general physical properties. Since it was made specifically for Sokka, who also took part in its construction, the sword is "attuned" to him. No mystical connection is made by this, rather it means the sword is just the perfect sword for Sokka. Finally, the unusual material, according to Piandao, gives the sword unique properties, namely exceptional durability and keenness. The sword is seen to be able to cut through thick layers of steel and other materials. Use Jian fencing, or "the Way of the Sword", is an ancient martial art, probably the oldest true swordfighting art in the world. Chinese swordfighting focuses on the harmony of the sword and the fighter (or as Piandao says, "of the sword more like an extra long, really sharp arm"1), favoring light and supple swords strong enough to withstand combat, but wieldy enough not to hinder the fighter. While Eastern and Western swords never really met in combat, a lot of Western historic fiction romanticizes Chinese swordfighting as an elegant, deadly, and superior art. However, it is true that in the Eastern tradition, being a master of the sword entailed much more than just fighting. Just as the unarmed martial arts, the way of the sword was seen as more of a world-view than just a fancy way to swing a weapon. Essentially, what Piandao teaches Sokka about a warrior's skills and abilities is very much true of the real-world way of the sword. Gallery Sokka_leads_the_Invasion (1).png|Sokka holding his Sword Category:Weapons Category:Sokka's Weapons Category:Melee Weapons Category:Avatar: The Last Airbender